The Ryen Russillo Podcast — October 13, 2025

Episode Theme:
"Chiefs, Bucs, and Drake Maye Are Big Winners. Plus, Danny Kanell on Penn State’s Overreaction, Indiana’s Biggest Win, and the SEC’s Problem."

This episode delivers comprehensive takes on the weekend’s biggest NFL and college football stories. Ryen kicks things off with a breakdown of statement wins by Kansas City, Tampa Bay, and New England’s rookie QB Drake Maye, followed by a deep-dive into college football’s shifting landscape alongside Danny Kanell. They debate Indiana’s program-defining victory, question conference supremacy, and break down the Penn State coaching drama. The show wraps with Ryen's signature “Life Advice” segment, including an epic tale of a grief-stricken grandpa gone wild.

NFL Week 6: The Big Winners and Takeaways

Kansas City Chiefs Dominate Detroit

• [00:12] Ryen starts by identifying the Chiefs’ 30-17 win over Detroit as "the best win" of the weekend. He underlines that Detroit was averaging 40 points per game in the previous four yet was held to 17 by KC's improving defense.
• Credits Mahomes: “I can't believe anybody talks about the NFL and thinks anyone plays this position better than this guy.” [02:51]
• Notes KC’s resilience — reminds us that even during their 2021 AFC title loss season, they started 3-4.
• Praises Chiefs’ emerging weapons: Worthy, Hollywood Brown, Smith (rookie RB), and gets Rice back after suspension.

Concerns for Detroit

• Significant injuries in the secondary (Reed, Arnold, Kirby, Branch), leading to major coverage problems.
• Branch’s postgame frustration resulted in a fight.

Bucks' Statement Over San Francisco

• Tampa beating SF is “honorable mention," not as impressive as KC’s win, but important for playoff seeding and breaking the Niners’ mental edge.
• Ryen details Baker Mayfield’s clutch moments:
  • “Heisman moment, third and 14, up 20 to 19… runs for 15 before hitting Tez Johnson for 45-yard TD.” [05:23]
• Immortal quote from Tez Johnson (on MVP chants, [06:05]):
  • “When I scored and I hit MVP, MVP chant, I’m thinking they talking about me…So I asked Shep, like, Shep, they was chanting MVP, and he was like, ‘Yeah.’ I was like, ‘I ain’t do nothing this year.’ And then he was like, ‘They talking about Baker, Tez.’ And I was like, ‘Well, that explains it. But he is the MVP.’”

Drake Maye Shines for New England

• Ryen goes deep on rookie Drake Maye’s poise, arm, and decision making.
  • “The ball is not thrown from Drake Maye’s hands. It ejects out of his hands.” [09:02]
• Dissects key throws: third-and-17 and third-and-27 conversions, and a first-down play where Maye “is so calm back there… he’s not being sped up.”
• Maye: first Pats QB since Brady (2011) with 100+ rating, 200+ yards, and positive EPA in a game.

Quarterback Draft Class Musings

• Ryen riffs on recency bias: Is Maye now the best of the '24 class? Injuries to Jayden Daniels. J.J. McCarthy’s moxie. Wonders about teams "pulling the plug" on rookie QBs for next generational prospects.

Rapid-Fire NFL Losers & Numbers

• No catastrophic “worst loss” but points out Dallas’s thrashing by Carolina’s emergent ground game.
• Arizona’s collapse to Miami stings, as does the ongoing Jets/Fields debacle (calls Fields’ contract “a stupid, stupid deal”).
• Herbert’s heroics for LAC despite O-line struggles.
• Fun with stats: “Teams are averaging 1.8 flea-flickers per week. I don’t think that’s real, but that’s what it seems like.” [16:44]

College Football Deep Dive with Danny Kanell

Florida State Meltdown & Patience for Norvell

• [19:09] Danny addresses the Noles’ collapse: “One of the hardest questions to answer is how does that team that was so good against Alabama all of a sudden lose three games in a row? It’s inexplicable. It’s frustrating.”
• Points: FSU’s lost to Duke, FCS opponent, end of ACC win streak.
• Defense is the biggest letdown; “Offense has delivered… Defense has been the most disappointing.”
• Buyout woes: “No idea how Penn State came up with $50 million…FSU’s is more like $60 million.”

Indiana’s Monumental Win Over Oregon

• Ryen insists Indiana’s victory was the best in CFB this year: “To go into a place nobody wins and clearly look like the better team for 60 minutes..." [24:27]
• Danny, on Indiana’s resume: “I think they have the best resume in college football.” [25:57]
• Lauds Coach Kurt Cignetti’s transformational impact, especially in modern NIL/portal era: "Coaching matters more now than it’s ever mattered."

QB Mendoza’s NFL-Caliber Talent

• Ryen highlights Mendoza’s elite throws behind the “special” tag Kanell affixes.
  • “That’s what makes the great players in the NFL elevate… anticipation, all of it is the thing that Mendoza’s got that a lot of guys don’t." [29:27]

The SEC’s "Two-Team" Problem and Power Struggle

• Danny prods: “SEC is getting two teams in. That’s it!” [30:43]
• Dissects top-to-bottom depth, but calls out weakening mid-tier and parity.
• Ryen: “If it’s about titles, they’re in trouble, right? I’m not really blown away by any of those teams.” [33:39]
• Danny: “I think Alabama’s good. Not great. Ty Simpson has elevated… the SEC is the best conference, Big Ten is right behind.”

Conference Strength, Playoff Debates, and The Gap Myth

• Ryen and Danny challenge idea of huge talent gaps between 3-9 ranked teams anymore.
• Ohio State’s consistency, defense, and developing QB Julian Sayin draws praise: “He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the country now.” [40:07]

Coaching Carousel: Penn State Fires Franklin

• [45:41] Ryen on overreaction: "He can recruit like crazy. They must really not like him because I still think this is an overreaction."
• Danny: firing was premature. “Everybody’s so focused on top 10 wins but...it’s a head-scratcher without knowing who you’re going to get next… this is going to be the wildest coaching carousel in 15, 20 years.” [47:00]
• On Cignetti as a candidate: “He’d be a home run hire. I just wonder if Penn State’s going to get the home run hire they think they are.” [51:54]

Texas and Arch Manning’s Maturation

• [53:08] Ryen: “It was a messy, ugly game… but I think people should feel good about Arch maybe for the first time all season.”
• Danny: “I thought you started to see signs of Arch against Florida…It was all about confidence…and I think this could be such a monumental moment for his career.” [53:08]

Ryen’s College Football Top 12

• Ohio State: Anchored by Sayin, best defense, resume win over Texas.
• Miami: Destructive win over FSU, #2 in AP.
• Indiana: Now dubbed "national title contender." Mendoza’s performance at Oregon makes the case.
• Oregon, A&M, Texas Tech, Alabama, Ole Miss, Georgia, and others filled out, with notes on resume strength, schedule, and key stats (e.g., A&M's defensive 3rd down dominance).

Quote: “If we want to do it, we can sit here for an hour and come to the conclusion no one is actually good in this sport.” [59:27]

Life Advice: From Apple Cores to Hooker-Enabled Grandpa

Highlights:

Apple Core Misadventures

• Listener keeps tossing apple cores out the wrong window, blames kids. Panel jokes, considers confession or improved tactics.
  • Advice: “Stop doing that…Have better awareness.” [82:22]
  • Ryen stories: “I would say, ‘door is locked’, out loud, just to remind myself. You may need to audibly say, ‘window is open’.” [83:10]

Bend the Knee or Walk Away (Marriage Edition)

• Listener unsure after 4-year relationship, asks when to propose or move on.
  • Ryen: “When it’s a potential marriage thing and you take a break and get back together, the stakes are higher.” [88:12]
  • Group weighs pressure, emotional signs, and the analogy to college decisions.

Grieving Grandpa’s Spiral into Escort Madness

• Listener’s 77-year-old grandpa: dog named after deceased wife, gets catfished, DM’s grandson’s ex, regular at strip clubs, now using family money on escorts.
  • Family debate: intervene or excommunicate?
  • Ceruti: “This could be a real extended rough patch…Find the best grandkid to appeal to his emotional side.”
  • Kyle: “You need to have an intervention. Tell him what the deal is and how destructive his life is becoming…”
  • Ryen: “I have seen the other side…nothing is going to change my mind. But if you excommunicate him, he’s going to be coming back when he’s broke.” [116:56]
  • Final thought: “Hooker allowance, perhaps?”

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “It’s just another night with Mahomes. I can’t believe anybody talks about the NFL and thinks anyone plays this position better.” – Ryen Russillo [02:51]
• “That explains it. But he is the MVP.” – Tez Johnson, via Ryen, on crowd MVP chants [06:05]
• “Drake Maye: The ball is not thrown…it ejects out of his hands.” – Ryen Russillo [09:02]
• “SEC is getting two teams in. That’s it.” – Danny Kanell [30:43]
• “I think coaching matters more now than it’s ever mattered.” – Danny Kanell [27:20]
• “Everyone’s acting like 12-0 is easy if you’re really good. It’s not.” – Ryen Russillo [37:01]

Tone & Style

• Ryen mixes deep football knowledge, wit, and self-deprecation, keeps conversation energetic and data-backed.
• Danny Kanell is analytical, balanced by his FSU roots and willingness to challenge prevailing narratives.
• Banter with co-hosts offers levity and relatability, especially in the Life Advice portion.

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Chiefs’ Win Breakdown: [00:12]–[08:17]
• Drake Maye & Rookie QBs: [08:17]–[13:12]
• NFL Losers, Fun Stats: [13:12]–[19:09]
• FSU’s Slide & Coaching Costs: [19:09]–[24:23]
• Indiana vs Oregon Analysis: [24:23]–[29:27]
• SEC Depth & Power 4 Debate: [30:38]–[34:24]
• Penn State/Franklin Overreaction: [45:36]–[52:26]
• Texas/Arch Manning Growth: [52:26]–[55:09]
• Life Advice (Apple Core Story): [78:10]–[85:49]
• Life Advice (Grandpa Hooker Madness): [99:58]–[119:12]

FOR NEW LISTENERS:
This episode is stuffed with astute football insight, memorable storytelling, and offbeat humor. Ryen manages to blend a coach’s breakdown, a fan’s passion, and a therapist’s candor—whether he's dissecting Mahomes, Indiana’s rise, or the etiquette of apple core disposal.

Listen if you want:

• Smart, skeptical, candid football talk—both NFL and college
• Inside-the-industry media and coaching gossip
• Authentic takes on life, relationships, and the human condition in football and beyond